1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video copying apparatus for copying video and audio recorded on one of an optical disk (particularly, a DVD) and a videotape to the other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, videocassette recorders (VCR) for recording video and audio on a videotape by an analog signal or DVD recorders for recording video and audio on a digital versatile disk (hereinafter called DVD) by a digital signal have become commercially practical and have become widespread generally. Also, with the widespread use of these apparatus, many users copy video and audio recorded on the videotape or the DVD to another videotape or DVD. The video and audio may be copied between the same kinds of record media or may be copied between different kinds of record media. Recently in particular, video and audio recorded on a videotape by an analog signal greatly degrade with time, so that many users copy the video and audio recorded on the videotape to a DVD. For example, many users copy video and audio picked up by a video camera during travel to a DVD in order to leave the video and audio by sharp video and audio forever. In the DVD, video and audio are recorded by a digital signal as is well known, so that the recorded video and audio little degrade with time.
Also, an apparatus for determining a compression ratio of video and audio copied according to free space of another record medium in the case of copying video and audio recorded on a record medium to another record medium is proposed in JP-A-2003-123386. The apparatus makes effective use of a record area of the record medium by determining the compression ratios so as to record the copied video and audio on one record medium without discontinuity.